Fruit Of Rage

There was another thunder blast but no lightning.

"That was close. I didn't know this was a lightning-prone zone." Janet closed all curtains and covered every glass or mirror in the living area.

"Me neither. The antenna must have drawn in it or something," Leah said.

"You think so?" Janet giggled. She put the bassinet in front of the sofa and got cosy herself.

Leah dished out lunch, settling beside her sister. "Could be so." She handed Janet a plate. They watched a movie, not letting the natural commotion outside force them to sleep.

Meanwhile...

It was heated outside.

I took cover after the third blast. Madon carelessly took a swing at Elijah, sending a string of lightning with it. The latter did not budge, waiting for the blow till it was an inch close. But there was no fatal crash. The cell-like beam seeped into Elijah's weapon as it met with the blade at the last breath. White sparks glazed the edges as the Archangel hovered forward.

"Stealing energy from my strikes. What a coward." Madon grimaced.

"What can I say; I fight smart, not hard," Elijah did not feel pressured.

"You won't be saying that after I hang your skin to dry. Might make a wonderful sock, don't you think?" Madon gathered momentum.

"For a cave-dweller like you? What a waste. Let's keep this fight away from the humans, shall we?" Elijay remained unphased. He showed his palm to the heavens, speaking an unknown tongue.

Sensing the danger that their conflict posed, Elijah created a tremendous barrier, encasing them in a shimmering dome of energy. The barrier pulsated with unfathomable strength, ensuring that their conflict did not spill over.

The enclosure crossed the confines of the sizeable backyard and into the quiet neighbourhood. Luckily their duel was invisible and non-existent to the rest of the world. The sound of thunder may occasionally pick up somewhere, but the impact would not be felt.

"Good, now I don't have to hold back," Madon stretched his limbs, ready to throw it down. There were cracking noises when he swung his neck from side to side.

Unfortunately, all I could do to help was shout outside the barrier. Both angels did ensure I was out of the way.

"Shall we?" Elijah levitated off the ground.

"Certainly!" Madon sprinted toward the target without a plan, letting out a thunderous roar as he swung his hand above his head.

I looked away for a moment when it crashed against an object. Angels do bleed, but not like humans. At that proximity, I was sure Elijah got hit. Yet when the dust and fog within the barrier cleared, my jaw was on the floor. Madon's sword did land on something, yet Elijah was standing five inches beside the blade, unharmed.

"Boo hoo, you missed. All that talk, and yet you failed to nail me down with one swing. If you require a doctor, I know one who can heal your poor eyesight." Elijah took to taunting his opponent.

"Shut up!" Madon raised the heavy weapon, swaying it horizontally.

Elijah flipped over the blade. As his body crossed over, he let the tip of his finger graze the centre of Madon's sword. As soon as he landed, the bade swung backwards, slapping Madon in the face.

"Argh!" Madon was thrown back by the force. He dug his feet into the ground, rooting his toes down to limit the impact.

"See, you're already blue-black in the nose. That colour suits you." Elijah seemed to be winning with words rather than battle skills. Madon's mistake was letting that get to him. You'd think an angel like him would know that. What can I say; anger is blind to reason. It took several more mistakes for Madon to discern the trick used against him.

Elijah did not come down from his high horse. "Poor you. Concede while I'm being nice. You don't want Levickamon to see your imperfections, do you?" He stepped all over Madon's pride by bringing me into the subject.

What am I saying; this fight revolved around their inability to work together, but it also happened because of me. I wished then that they would stop, but how? I was a weakling who could barely weave his way around a spell.

All of a sudden, it hit me! I was not completely useless; there was indeed something I could do to end the savage duel.

Elijah kicked Madon in the face, using the crown of his head as a footstool to get back up. Madon flung his sword, yet once again it went in a different direction.

"Madon, Madon, Madon. Are you not fed up with having your face pummelled against the ground? Why do you insist on..."

*WHAM!*

Elijah was batted into a distance! He crashed into the barrier. Madon's sword had boomeranged after bypassing the ideal target. With Elijah complacent and distracted, he could not differentiate the energy of the dome from Madon's.

Before the Archangel could pick up from where he left off, another strike found him. Lightning whizzed into his divine veins more than he could count till he lost track of where the strike came from. Had he been of a lesser rank, his limbs would have ceased to work for weeks. Even so, the battle seemed over until Elijah decided he wasn't giving in.

"Enough!" His wings broke through his back, covering him from the blast. Transforming into a red metal shield, they pushed against the lightning bolts. A simple command sent the Archangel's weapon flying into his hand. "This is the last straw," Elijah armed himself, pointing the tip of his blade at the opponent- as did Madon.

They clashed!

Madon, famous for his strength and skill, wielded his mighty sword with lethal ease. Each stroke of his weapon sent waves of force vibrating through the air, threatening to smash anything in its path.

Elijah, on the other hand, was well-known for his exceptional agility and precision. He danced through the air with his double-bladed sword, leaving streaks of sparkling light in his wake. His motions were fluid and quick as if he were part of a complex cosmic ballet. Sparks flew wherever his swords struck Madon's, illuminating the fog around them.

The battle appeared endless.

The tension in the air was palpable as Madon and Elijah rowed in a fierce battle of wills and strength. Both angels were worn down, their bodies bruised from the relentless exchange of blows. But the one to suffer the biggest loss was Elijah. His powers were keeping the barrier alive, hiding the destruction from mortal eyes. As Elijah grew weaker, so did the barrier.

With each passing moment, the forcefield cracked and glitched, threatening to shatter under the overwhelming power of Madon's attacks.

Sensing a chance, Madon gathered a burst of energy, channelling it into a lethal lightning bolt targeted squarely at Elijah. It crackled with malicious purpose as it shot through the air, closing in on its victim. But Elijah, refusing to back down, swung his gleaming sword with determination, the blade slicing through the air and meeting with the lightning bolt.

The impact was disastrous. The force of the collision shattered the ethereal dome, sending fragments of shimmering energy scattering in all directions. The battleground transformed into a chaotic frenzy as the remnants of the spirit barrier dissipated into the atmosphere.

Amidst the chaos, something unexpected occurred. The lightning bolt, freed from the restraints of the shattered barrier, continued its trajectory towards the house.

"No!" I leapt towards the danger without a blink. Humans could not see us, but without the barrier, that lightning bolt would manifest physically if it came into contact with the house. It would hit so fast that no one would believe that was the cause. My chest was wide open to take the fall. It would kill a low-ranked like me, but I did not care. Cora and the others come first.

*ZOOM!*

A black cape appeared in front of me, so hurriedly I didn't catch the time it absorbed the lightning bolt. I was overwhelmed by the grace I had received from this mysterious floating material. Who had come to the aid of this humble Guardian?

That was not all. A giant with wings sitting on the sides of his head jumped between Elijah and Madon. He must have been more powerful than them because they did not oppose his reproof.

"Have you both lost your minds?"

That voice. I did not recognize it till the giant turned to Madon, and I caught a glimpse of the side of his face. For a second, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. Was it indeed Azazel, glowing as a powerful and enigmatic angelic being in their true divine form?